


Seize the Empire

by KeybladeJediMaster



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Les is Force Sensitive, Mandalorians - Freeform, Possible relationships to be added, Rebellion, Star Wars crossover, The Force, The Grand Inquisitor - Freeform, made up planet, the resistance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-18 02:46:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16109186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeybladeJediMaster/pseuds/KeybladeJediMaster
Summary: Jack Kelly is an wanted vigilante by the Empire. His crimes include theft, arson, escape from custody,and assault of Imperial Officers. Little does the Empire know that the boy runs a Rebel cell on Agantu with his crew. Elsewhere, a bright young man named Davey is climbing up the ranks of the Imperial academy, on his way to becoming an officer. His whole world is turned upside down when the Empire sends an Inquisitor after his kid brother, Les, for being force sensitive. Davey is eager to help his brother but reluctant to join the Rebellion.





	1. Chapter 1 POV: Jack

It would be nice if I could go one day without being chased. Three stormtroopers saw me raid their shipment at the spaceport and decided that it was of the utmost importance to catch a thief. That or they hate me, I have escaped from them every single time, making them look like stupid moof milkers. I took off down an alley where I can lose them. I know these streets better than any buckethead the Empire can dig up. My sides are heaving from exertion and my shoulders sag under the weight of the food I stole. A blaster bolt nearly hits my shoulder as I round the corner and hit the main street again. Damn it! They called in reinforcements. There’s about eight stormtroopers and they all are out for my blood. Great, just great. I take off towards the edge of town, if I could just get to my speeder bike.  
The troopers are gaining on me and dodging blaster bolts is getting difficult. I’m so close. Suddenly, one of the troopers shoots the bike and it goes up in flames.

“Karabast!” I shout. I am severely running out of options and breath. The boys need this food, if I can’t get back to the Compound, they don’t eat and I sure as hell don’t want to deal with Warden Tobias Snyder again. So I keep running until I hear the roar of engines.

“Need a lift, Kelly?” Calls Crutchie from his land speeder with a grin. I don’t answer and jump into the speeder and pull out my blaster and shoot at the troopers so they give up their hopeless pursuit.

“I owe ya one, Crutch.” I say after we finally lost the bucketheads. 

“According to my count, you owe me 12, Jacky.” Crutchie replies. I open my mouth to protest. “Before ya ask, I got an itemized list back at base.” Crutchie added with a wink.

Crutchie is two years younger than me and has had a pretty rough hand dealt to him. His parents abandoned him at a young age so he became a scavenger and then a bounty hunter. When I met him he was missing a leg and was walking with a haphazardly put together crutch. He’s never told me how he lost the leg. But anyways, I offered him food and the rest is history, now we’re as thick as thieves, which we are. 

After a while we reach the Compound. Crutchie parks his speeder in the hanger next to Specs’ ship and Race’s speeder bike. More speeders and bikes were haphazardly parked in the bay, so most of the boys should be home. I headed to the galley to drop off my haul. Race and Albert were sitting on the countertop just for the sheer rebelliousness of it.

“Get your asses off of my counter!” I yelled at the younger boys. I cracked a smile and tossed the bag of food from my shoulders to them.

“Dang, Jack you made out good today!” Race exclaimed while rifling through the three weeks worth of Imperial ration packs. He opened one and started to ravenously consume the contents and Albert followed suit. “So, why do ya look like so down?” Race continued with his mouth full.

“I… uh… lost my speeder bike…” I said forlornly. I loved that bike, had it custom painted by Elmer and everything, though I guess my bike for my life is a fair trade off. 

“Sorry ‘bout that, Jack, maybe El and I can fix up one of the others for ya!” Albert said.

“Yeah! I’d like that.” I replied as a walked out of the galley. “Don’t eat all the rations, Racer!” I made my way to the common area and saw Specs, asleep on the couch, Crutchie in exuberant conversation with Spot, Finch, Henry and Elmer and Jojo and Tommy Boy were playing a friendly game of Sabaac. Mush and Romeo were out on missions, so that only left Buttons not back yet.

“Any of yous seen Buttons?” I asked the crew. He was supposed to be joining Specs, Spot, Henry, Race and I on a mission tonight. The boys all said no.

“I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if his speeder finally died.” Elmer said. Elmer and Albert worked as freelance mechanics and did all sorts of odd jobs fixing up everything from ships to droids.

“Well if he ain’t home soon we’re leaving without him.” The voice came from a groggy Specs, who was now halfway sitting up with his flight goggles shoved in his hair making it look like a disaster. 

“Specs is right, time is valuable on this mission. We’ll go without him. Alright, Jojo and Albert, you go look for Buttons. Those of you on mission get ready to go.” I say back. They boys cheer.

I make my way to the room I share with Crutchie to prep for the mission. Tonight we’re stealing files from the Imperial Academy here on Agantu. The more information we’ve got on their forces here, the more hell we can give them. I grab my blasters and strap them into their holsters. I meet the rest of the team on Spec’s ship, 88 degrees. 

“Ready boys?” Specs calls from the cockpit, with his flight goggles strapped on. We all grunted our responses and then Specs took off.


	2. Chapter 2: Davey

“Les! This is the second time this month you’ve gotten a reprimand! You can’t get kicked out, where would you go?” I chastised my ten year old brother.

“Look I’m not trying to cause trouble! It just kinda happens. I’m sorry Davey” Les said apologetically. I’m not really mad at him, I just can’t let anything happen to him, like what happened to dad. 

“It’s ok. It’ll all be ok.” I say as I pull him into a hug. We make our way back to our quarters. We live on the academy campus like most of the students. They’re basically like tiny houses and we can keep whatever personal belongings we want in them, though Les and I don’t have much.

Les and I put on a holodrama while I make dinner. We fall into comfortable silence while eating dinner and watching the show. He eventually falls asleep and I pull out my datapad and head to the archives. Usually, my curiosity helps me advance in the ranks of the academy, not snoop on my younger brother but desperate times call for desperate hacking.

As soon as I get to the archive, I plug in my datapad and begin unlocking my way into the student files. I search for “Les Jacobs” and open his file. “UNDER OBSERVATION” is in red bold letters. 

“What have you done, Les?” I ask under my breath. I continue reading his file.

“Subject has shown signs of using the Force on multiple occasions unbeknownst to himself. An Imperial Inquisitor has been sent to investigate. The subject’s brother shows nothing out of the ordinary.” The file read. I’ve read about Inquisitors, they’re Jedi killers, which means, if this is true, Les is in so much danger. I hastily unplug my datapad and do my best to remove my trace of being here from the network. I try to breathe and act normally so if anyone sees me they won’t ask questions. 

I am practically running and literally run into Headmaster Wyck.

“David! What are you doing out here at this hour?” He asks.

“Well… you see… I was....studying. You know me always trying to do better for the Empire.” I reply a little too fast.

“Good on you! You’ll make a great officer one day. You have company at your place though, you’d best hurry home.” Wyck says to me. 

I salute and continue home as fast as I can. My door is slightly ajar. 

“Les? You here?” I ask in a panic. No response. The lights are all off and a window is open. A chair looks like is was cut clean in half. The Inquisitor was here.


	3. Chapter 3: Specs

I land my ship just outside of the academy. I stay with the ship and have her ready to fly whenever someone from the team comms me. Sometimes on longer jobs it’s hard to keep myself busy. I comm the group to see how things are going, 

“How are things going out there, boys?” 

“We’re in. Shouldn’t take Henry too long to get into their system, ‘cause it looks like someone else already hacked it recently.” Spot replied. Spot’s been with us almost as long as I have but there’s something kinda frightening about that guy. Maybe just because he’s Mandalorian; that armor can strike fear into the hearts of anyone. 

The comms go silent and I’m left alone again. Guess that’s what I get being the pilot, but hey, anything to help our little rebellion. Suddenly alarms start blaring from the academy. Spot literally told me seconds ago that the job was going fine, how did they screw this up?

“Specs, get the ship ready to fly! We are coming back towards ya!” Jack orders over the comms. It’s eerily silent in the background. 

“What happened?” I ask bewildered.

“Not sure, wasn’t us. They still don’t know we’se here. But I finished the job that’s all that’s all that matters.” Henry replies. 

There’s banging on the door of my ship. I grab a blaster and go to investigate. When I open the door there’s just an out of breath little kid.

“What the hell?” I ask.

“Being chased. No time to explain. Can I come aboard. “ The kid spits out between trying to regain breaths. I let him in and swiftly close the door. Imperial or not he’s just a kid and I won’t leave him on his own.

“Why ‘re you bein’ chased?” I inquire of my new passenger. 

“Don’t know. All I know is the Empire sent him to get me.” He replies. He’s shaking with fear, whatever is chasing the kid must be terrifying.

“Well, youse safe here. We ain’t gonna hurt ya.” I say gently. I take him up the cockpit and have him sit in the copilot’s chair. I take a better look at him. He’s wearing civilian nightwear and the only other thing he’s got is a hat.

Then, a specific pattern is banged on the side of the ship and I go to let in the crew. 

“Wait here.” I say to the kid. Jack, Henry, Race and Spot pour into the ship with the latter two holding up an unconscious boy around our age. 

“Who’s that?” I question.

“Don’t know the Imperials were shooting at him too. And he had some freak with a red laser sword after him. Bucketheads got him with a stunner. We couldn’t leave him there. Now let’s go, Specs!” Jack replies, pushing me towards the cockpit. 

I return to the controls and have us out of there in no time. 

“So, uh, I also found a person, well more accurately he found me.” I call back to the others. I look over at the kid. “So what’s your name?” I whisper.

“Les.” He says quietly back.

“C’mon up and meet Les everybody!” I shout. Jack, Race and Spot come into the cockpit, Henry stays with our other new friend. Race and Spot look significantly less intimidating without the helmets.

“He’s jus’ a little kid.” Race notes.

“Hey! I’m ten... almost!” Les says indignantly. 

“Fellas, our new...uh.. friend is awake.” Henry says as he bursts in.


	4. Davey

My head hurts. Scratch that, everything hurts. I wake up in the common area of a civilian freighter. How did I get here? I sit up and there is a group of four boys starting at me, they are definitely not Imperials, bounty hunters maybe, but there’s no way there’s a bounty on my head yet. So, I sit up from my prone position on the bench.

“He lives!” one of them shouts. “I’m Race, and who’re you ta get the bucketheads all riled up?”

“Where am I? I can’t be here. I have to find my little brother!” I ask frantically of the boys. I get up abruptly and two of them point their blasters at me. I sit back down with my hands up. 

“We’re askin’ the questions kid.” The one in blue says. I presume him to be the leader. 

“My name is David Jacobs, I’m a recruit at the Imperial Academy. Or at least I was before the Empire sent someone after my brother. Please, have you seen a little boy named Les?” I explain desperately. 

“Henry, pull up his file. Look kid, we ain’t gon’ hurt ya.” The boy in blue orders of the one with the datapad. “I’m Jack. That’s Henry and Spot, Specs is up front piloting this fine ship, and you’ve met Race.”

While Henry looks for my file, wait how do they even have my file? Who are these kids? Jack speaks up,  
“Look, don’t get ya hopes up but we did find a kid. I’m gonna get him.” He leaves and goes into the cockpit. He takes a little while. I can hear him talking to two people. I strain to hear through the closed blast door. The door opens abruptly and I hold my breath in anticipation.

“Is that your brother, kid?” Jack asks the young boy behind him, in civilian clothes, with a grey hat on...Les!

“Les! You’re ok!” I’m practically crying as he runs to me and I pull him into a giant hug.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jack says with a smirk. Henry finally looks up from the datapad and says,

“Wow. Top of his class. Ain’t we da hoi paloi? So, the Empire’s after ya because your brother’s got somethin’ called the Force?” Henry asks.

“What’s the Force?” Les asks innocently. Dammit. He doesn’t even know why the Grand Inquisitor was after him. I don’t know how to answer him, because truthfully, I don’t really know.

“Alright boys, prepare for landing.” The pilot, Specs, as I recall, yelled from the cockpit, cutting off my train of thought. I let go of Les and grab his hand. The other boys grabbed handhold from the ceiling.

“You can sit. Specs is the greatest pilot I ever seen.” The other Mandalorian said gruffly. It’s hard to hear while the ship is landing. I nod and pull Les onto the bench next to me. 

“So who are you guys? Bounty hunters? And why were you at the Imperial Academy?” I ask hesitantly after the ship lands. Look, I’m grateful to them for finding Les, but I have no idea who these people are. There was a long pause and during this time, Specs lands his ship. 

“Well, what we tell ya depends on somethin’. You plan on goin’ back to the Empire? Because we ain’t gonna take any chances of you ratting out our family.” Spot asked caused casually. They all looked at me with anticipation, even Les. How can I answer that? I don’t even know what I’m going to do, I haven’t had time to think yet. I am way in over my head.

“You can’t seriously want to go back to them after they threatened you an’ your family?” Jack asked incredulously.

“Besides, they will just kill ya if ya go back. You’re a deserter now, a fugitive. I should know, I ran away from their flight school years ago. Besides they may accept you back, but never the kid, since he’s force sensitive.” This comes from Specs who now is exiting the cockpit and I get a good look at him for the first time. He still has his flight goggles on, that must be why they call him Specs.

“Well, then I guess we’re here to stay.” I say to the whole crew without thinking. I don’t know them, but I have a good feeling about them. Sometimes, I just really need to think with my heart and not my head.

“Welcome to the rebellion, boys” Jack says while clapping Les and I on the back. I grow pale.

“Wait. What? The Rebellion?” I ask as we are ushered off the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it'd be fun to tell you where this crazy crossover came from. So I went to Disney World last month and I spend a lot of time in Hollywood Studios because I adore Star Wars. Well this trip came shortly after closing the production of Newsies I did over the summer, I was Specs. So I had full on post show depression and then while watching Star Wars a Galactic Spectacular, I realized how perfect the newsies would be a a cell of the Rebellion and thus this fic was born.


	5. Chapter 5: Crutchie

I pace back and forth across the common room, my prosthetic leg clinking with every step. How was I going to explain this to Jack. Albert and and Jojo came back without Buttons. They said that Jeela, the junk trader he sells to, saw him get jumped by some troopers and then arrested. There was nothing she could have done, but now Buttons was at the mercy of Snyder, and I have to tell Jack, because with him and Race gone, I’m next in charge. 

“Stop pacing, won’t make Buttons come home any faster. You’re jus’ riling yourself an’ everyone up.” Albert says from the doorway. He comes in and flops onto the couch. “I’ve just spent the last hour convincing Jojo to go to sleep, don’t tell me I gotta do the same for ya?” 

Jojo and Buttons are practically inseparable and this will really take a toll on him, and well all of us. Jojo was always the optimist of us. 

“Nah Al, I’ll be fine. I’m jus’ worried like the rest of the fellas. Go on ta bed, I’ll take care of debriefin’ Jack. You look dead on your feet.” I try to convince my friend. He just nods and walks off towards the bunks.  
“Night, Crutch.”

 

“Night, Al.” I sit down on the couch where Albert just was and wait for the team to return. Not long after I hear a ship approach and land, which can only be the 88 Degrees. My heart rate quickens and my palms begin to sweat, how can I tell Jack this. I walk into the hangar, my footsteps echoing. 

“Crutchie!” Jack calls, “Come meet the new recruits!” New recruits? This night had to get more complicated, didn’t it? I go and meet Jack and the crew by the landing gear, standing with them was a very excited little kid and a teenage boy who looked like he was going to pass out. 

“Crutchie, meet Davey and Les! Davey and Les, meet former bounty hunter extraordinaire, Crutchie!” Race introduced. I offered my hand. Les shook it vigorously while Davey barely even shook it. He was desperately trying to take in his surroundings. 

“Why are you called Crutchie if you don’t have a Crutch?” Les asked while Davey elbowed him and looked appalled.

“I used to have one, but Jacky here hooked me up with a prosthetic leg, but the name stuck, plus it sounds better than leggy.” I replied. The conversation hit a lull, it hit every single person in the hanger how tired they were.

“How about we take Les and Davey to the bunks?” Jack asked, but it was more an order than a suggestion. I grab Jack’s arm and kept him from following the others out.

“Jack. Buttons… He well.. We never found him..Jeela says the Empire got him…” I finally get out. Jack grabs my shoulder.

“Those bastards. Don’t get discouraged, we’ll bring him home, I promise.” Jack replies as he pulls me into a hug.


	6. Chapter 6: Pulitzer

I pace around my office, high above the streets of Qrale, the capital of Agantu. The city looks beautiful from here, the Imperial flags flying, a distinct show of power. Civilians know that I am in charge here, and by extension the Emperor is in charge here. It seems, however that a select group of willful ruffians continue to undermine Imperial authority, playing at rebellion. My protocol droid, D5-K1 speaks and draws me from my thoughts,

“Sir, Commander Wiesel is here for your meeting scheduled at 14 hundred.” 

“Bring him in.” I command as I take a seat behind my desk. 

“Governor Pulitzer, it is good to see you.” The commander greets as he walks into my office. It is clear he is nervous. Good. Perhaps if he is frightened enough, he will finally take care of the problem. 

“Please sit.” I say. I take out my holo and pull up a grainy security image from the Imperial hanger. “Wiesel, I believe that this is one of those so called ‘rebels’ you have been dealing with? Jack Kelly isn’t it?” 

“Yes sir. He has evaded capture numerous times with the assistance of his friends. But we will capture him once and for all. The warden here is eager for his return. We are just unsure of the best strategy to apprehend all of the transgressors.” Wiesel spouts off information I am already aware of, save for the tidbit about Warden Snyder. I must get in touch with him. 

“Clearly. However, I have taken it upon myself to create a solution to this little ‘rebellion’ for you. The plan is already in motion. I have recruited two mercenaries who are very familiar with this group, and told them information to leak to these children about when Imperial prisoners are going to be moved, information that these boys have been keenly searching for. It seems that one of their own has found themselves in our care. This provides you with a perfect opportunity to apprehend the transgressors.” I lay the plan out in simple terms. “Are you competent enough to handle this mission, or shall I find someone else?”

“Yes sir! I can handle it.” Wiesel sputtered out. He was truly frightened of me, exactly how I like my underlings.

“Do not fail me again, commander. You are dismissed.” I say coldly gesturing to the door. The silver droid escorts him out. By the end of the week I will no longer have those “rebels” tarnishing my reputation as governor. Now to attend to other matters. I picked up my holo and placed a connection.

“Mister Snyder. I have several questions for you about Jack Kelly.”


End file.
